A bombshell report in Variety today details apparent attempts by star Jason Momoa to get Amber Heard fired from the DC sequel.
According to the report, on the same day that the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dropped, a number of Redditers paid to obtain documents from the Johnny Depp-Heard defamation trial, and then published them online. Among those notes are descriptions of Momoa appearing drunk on set, dressed as Depp, as the actor apparently tried to get Heard fired.
The report goes on to say that Heard was, in fact, almost fired as Mera after the release of 2018’s Aquaman, but not because of the public drama with Depp. According to Variety, it was due to lack of chemistry with Momoa, which is similar to testimony that Heard’s agent gave during the defamation trial.
Heard was not fired, however, and that’s reportedly because of Elon Musk. The Variety report alleges that Heard’s former boyfriend had one of his lawyers send a “scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down,” causing WB to relent and bring back Heard for The Lost Kingdom.
IGN has reached out to Warner Bros. and Momoa’s reps for comment. A DC spokesperson pushed back against the Momoa allegations in Variety’s report, saying that “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” Another source, meanwhile, claimed that Momoa wasn’t dressing as Depp, but rather that he “has always dressed in that bohemian style.”
Still, the notes in the documents, which were apparently scribbled by Heard's therapist in a legal pad, say “Jason said he wanted me fired. Jason drunk — late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had already been under plenty of scrutiny, with other reports over the summer revealing that it underwent three rounds of reshoots amid confusion over Batman’s place in the film, who at one point was expected to have a small role. While reshoots aren’t uncommon for superhero movies, they can be pricey.
According to today’s Variety report, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cost $215 million to produce, and there’s certainly hope it can follow the billion-dollar success of its predecessor when it hits theaters on Dec. 20. Following the announcement of Gunn and Peter Safran’s revamp of the DCEU, holdovers from the previous regime – Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle – have all underperformed, spurring concerns over the brand’s power at the box office.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
